


Shelter

by Lepidopteran (inarticulate)



Category: Finisterre: The Nighthorses - C. J. Cherryh
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-27
Updated: 2008-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-15 11:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/526744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inarticulate/pseuds/Lepidopteran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny and Carlo are snowed in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shelter

"It's not so bad," Carlo tried, "being snowed in."

Danny shook his head. He knew what Carlo wasn't saying, could feel it keenly in the way Cloud's sending was full of <male horse> and <fight.> "Yeah, sure," was all he said, and, "pass me the bacon."

Carlo's hand was warm on Danny's shoulder, ungloved. It was still rough from smith work, seemed older that way. Older like Carlo was more of a man than Danny, strange how that didn't bother Danny like it should. Kid was good for a new rider, maybe he took so easily because he'd spent that time with Cloud. Maybe he was just quiet and solid naturally, the way Danny'd had to learn. He tried not to think it; he didn't particularly want Carlo to hear. He didn't want <fight>, so he thought hard at Cloud, <still water> and <Spook and Cloud walking side by side.>

"They won't get into it."

"Oh, yeah? And you're so sure with all your experience?" Danny kicked at the ground. Real mature of him, there. He sighed. "Sorry, I guess the day's getting to me."

"Nah, you're right." Carlo squeezed his shoulder, and Danny caught a hint of <warmth> before Carlo got up and moved to the other side of the shelter to pace a bit. Stretching out his legs; he wasn't used to riding yet, and the thought made Danny relax a little.

The bacon wasn't that great. It never was, but Danny chewed it anyway. Good to have protein out here. Good to have a partner, too, which was what he thought Carlo was shaping up to be. They hadn't talked about it yet, had been careful not to think it around Cloud, but he thought he could feel it even without the ambient. Carlo was comfortable, Carlo was a friend; Danny had never really had one of those before, not like this.

<Cloud's side warm against Spook's.> And that was Spook's sending, Spook, who didn't seem to mind that Cloud was a <male horse>, that Cloud was sending back <cow> and <Cloud biting.>

Danny sighed as Carlo came back to sit beside him, leaning against him shoulder to shoulder in an imitation of Spook's sending. "I'm not breaking 'em up if they start fighting tonight," he muttered.

"It's okay," Carlo said, taking the rest of Danny's bacon. "Spook can take care of himself. Just stay in here where it's warm?"

"Sounds like a plan." Danny leaned back against Carlo and smiled. This was something real, and he wasn't going to fuck it up this time.


End file.
